A Dreary World For Us
by CayshaGriffin
Summary: A sequel to 'Surprises On Street Corners'. It didn't matter the mask or guise, they would always be drawn to one another. Even if they didn't want to be. Slashy. Batman/Joker, Bruce Wayne/Jacob.


Disclaimer: I do not own Batman or Joker, tis sad but true.

A/N: This is a sequel to my another of my stories, Surprises On Street Corners. This is more slashy then the last, so be forewarned. And thanks to all those who enjoyed the last story enough to comment. I love them all dearly. Hope you all enjoy!

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He unlocked the door with sigh, dropping the keys on the table by the door before taking the paper and groceries to the kitchen after kicking the door shut.

There was nothing special about the apartment. It was nice, not scuzzy, but not anything over the top either. A plain apartment with bleached wood colors and a minimalistic belief. The blond fit into the background perfectly, his band t-shirt the only real splash of color that traveled through the well lighted rooms.

Jacob whistled as he went about putting the food, mostly junk food and sugary confections away and grabbed the paper before moving to the bathroom. He jogged back out a moment later and into the bedroom before coming back with a perfectly hung purple suit slung over his shoulder.

He continued to whistle as he hung the clothes on the shower railing and opened the medicine cabinet to pull out the stained greasepaint tubes and lipstick. Turning on the taps, adjusting the temperature, Jacob snapped the newspaper open while he waited for the water to adjust.

He stopped whistling.

A picture of Batman and the Joker was splashed across the front page again, in full color and focus this time.

Jacob scowled, running his tongue along the inside of his cheeks as he tossed away the cover page and searched for something else to read as was his habit during this part of his day.

Unfortunately he ended up in the gossip pages and came face to face with Bruce Wayne's picture taking up half of the article. Something about another fundraiser gone awry by the interruption of the Joker, a continuation of the front page story.

Jacob crumbled the paper up completely and lobbed it on the floor, bracing his arms on the sink before looking up at the mirror. Scarless, young, harmless. That's what he was, even as he gingerly brushed across the spots on his face that hid who he really was. Thin layers of latex and make-up, hiding a force of nature from the world.

Bruce reaching across to touch his face, the same way he...

Jacob lurched away from the sink.

No, Bruce wasn't his. No one belonged to Jacob. Especially not Bruce Wayne.

He reached desperately for the greasepaint tubes, needing it, needing someone.

He was about to swipe white half hazardly across his forehead when the door bell rang.

Jacob's brow furrowed as he stared at his own ragged reflection in confusion. He put his hand under the tap to wash away the white and checked his face to make sure everything was right before he went to answer the door.

He only got it open an inch or so before he cursed and tried to slam it shut. But the body on the other side slammed into it, sending Jacob rebounding off the door and sprawling on the floor. He was quick to get up and dash to the kitchen with the intruder just on his heels. He managed to open his knife drawer just as he was whirled around and pressed back against the counter, the drawer slamming shut next to him.

Jacob glared at the face bare inches from his, panting from the short sprint as Bruce Wayne's own breath fell heavy on his cheek.

"I told you....to leave me the hell alone!" He snarled.

"I know." Bruce said, not even backing up enough to allow Jacob to breath his own air. But he wasn't stupid enough to struggle against the more built man. It was always a losing battle, no matter who he was.

"What do you want?"

Bruce shook his head, brow knitting together. "I don't know." Brown eyes Jacob didn't know at all, but a part of him knew all to well looked up at him. "Proof that I'm not crazy?"

Make-up or not he felt a part of himself rise to the occasion of sneering something sarcastic at Bruce when the billionaire lunged forward. Jacob opened his mouth to protest and was shocked when Bruce pushed his tongue past Jacob's lips and sealed their mouths together in a heated kiss.

Jacob was in one part shock, one part lust as he dared to return the kiss. And then that traitorous tongue ran along the scars on the insides of Jacob's cheeks and he bit down hard on it. Bruce hissed and pulled away, helped along by Jacob shoving him back and reaching into the drawer for a familiar switchblade. One of the Joker's favorites.

"You know, now _get out_!" He shouted, brandishing the blade at a shocked Bruce Wayne. "You couldn't just _wait_, could you? A few hours and you would of had what you wanted. You didn't have to come here and take what wasn't yours!"

"Jacob..."

"_Don't call me that_!" Jacob snapped. But he suddenly felt weak out of costume, his knife weilding hand lowering. "It's not who you're here for, why couldn't you just let me have this?" He asked pleadingly, crouching on the ground as he fisted his hands in his blond hair .The flat of the switchblade pressed firmly against his scalp. "Why can you have a life and I can't? Who made those rules?"

There was silence for a long while as Jacob stared unseeingly at the tiled floor. He almost thought Bruce had left in the same quiet way he was prone to when a warm voice broke through the silence.

"Why would you want one?"

Jacob closed his eyes and laughed mirthlessly. "To stay sane."

He still jumped when a hand carded through his hair gently, making him shiver.

"I'm not helping, am I?" Bruce asked thoughtfully.

Jacob smirked, looking up at the playboy who was now crouched in front of him.

"Not _par-tic-ularl-y,_ no."

Surprisingly his normal speech pattern made Bruce smile instead of recoil. It made Jacob relax and he didn't stop the reflex to lick his lower lip before speaking again.

"You're selfish, you know that?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at Bruce. "I give you the biggest part of myself and all you ever want is _more_."

"Is wanting all of your lover so much to ask for?" Bruce asked curiously.

Jacob gave him a horrified look. "_Yes_."

Bruce's eyes were dark, intense pools and the hand that had carded through Jacob's hair found the back of his neck. "Then yes, I am very selfish."

It was slow this time under Jacob's wide eyes, a faint , gentle brush of lips against his. Teasing and leaving an acute tingling behind.

He knew that demons mouth, felt it do things to him that no one had ever dared do before. But always hard, needy, bruising. He'd never felt them so fucking gentle. And it pulled him in, blurring the lines between Batman and Joker, Jacob and Bruce.

A feeling that tugged at the back of his navel and made his brow furrow at the second brush of lips. Bruce moving them back onto the floor, Jacob's hands falling away from his hair, knife forgotten to tangle in Bruce's.

Searching fingers ran along Jacob's cheek and he froze as he realized what Bruce was doing. He pulled back from the kiss, mind partially clouded as he grabbed Bruce's hand.

"No..." He said quietly, looking up at Bruce's suddenly tensed features. "I...want to see how you'll look at me without them."

"I won't look at you any different." Bruce said firmly.

Jacob just smiled, wrapping his arms around the playboys neck to pull him back into that torturous kiss. "Tell me another one, _Batsy_."

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P.S. Comments are love and candy!


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